How to manage food hygiene in care homes properly

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Understanding the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) stance on food hygiene in care homes is crucial to protecting residents and maintaining compliance. We speak to many care businesses within the sector who undertake our courses with us to brush up on food hygiene training for care homes.

Food hygiene is important across any setting, after all, food safety practices that are unsafe can have serious consequences. For care homes, the scrutiny on food hygiene is greater, because of the higher risk associated. To help you understand the basics and why food hygiene in care homes requires your utmost attention, read on and discover more.

Care homes and food hygiene – why is it important?

Residents in care homes are more susceptible to viruses and diseases that stem from bacteria and unsafe food. Weakened immune systems and a greater risk of health issues contribute to an increased vulnerability. Food poisoning such as E-Coli, and Salmonella can be

Good food hygiene practices means putting measures in place to alleviate the potential risk throughout your care business. It is imperative that your staff are adequately trained in food safety awareness. Ultimately, the buck stops with management if an incident occurs that involves a resident contracting a foodborne illness.

Much like restaurants, takeaways and food businesses, care homes are awarded food hygiene ratings to determine how safe your care business is. This can be a big factor for people searching for a safe place for their elderly relatives to be cared for.

What the FSA says about food hygiene in care homes

So, FSA guidance states that any food consumed in a care home environment must be compliant with the Food Safety Act 1990. The legislative parts specific to care homes under this Act state:

Strict hygiene measures are followed by all staff responsible for food handling
The physical condition of the care home is at a high standard
A Food Safety Management System (FSMS) is sufficiently implemented

Care home food hygiene practices

Staff should be trained in food hygiene practices which include:

Handling and storing food safely
Effective cleaning procedures
Controlling allergens and through preventative cross-contamination measures
Adhering to temperature guidelines when cooking food

Care home conditions

Physical conditions of your care business. It’s not enough to have a sparkling kitchen if other areas are lacking. This isn’t sufficient to meet the standards set by the FSA. To stay compliant with food hygiene regulations, make sure the following areas are taken care of.

Suitable lighting is in working order throughout the premises
Adequate and correct ventilation
All common and shared areas and spaces are cleaned on a daily basis
Ensure waste is managed effectively
Suitable pest control measures are in place

What measures should I take to adopt good food hygiene in the care home?

A clean, safe environment gives residents and family members peace of mind that the care you are providing is of a good standard. Creating a setting where residents can eat in confidence alleviates concern and minimises risk.

Cross-contamination is one of the biggest causes of diseases and illness spreading. It can occur easily, therefore it’s important to impose several measures to negate any risk. Safe measures to deploy include:

Hand hygiene – frequent and thorough hand-washing is a basic but effective safety measure. Use an industrial hand cleanser or warm, soapy water.
Storing food – To comply with FSA Standards, prepare and store raw and cooked foods separately. Adopt colour-coding measures to distinguish between raw and cooked food.
Kitchen cleanliness – Your kitchen and food prep areas should be thoroughly cleaned daily with cleaning products that meet BS EN Cleaning Standards.
Allergen awareness – Is it clear what foods contain allergens? Labelling foods clearly and raising awareness of the risk of allergens means your staff can take the precautions necessary.
Staff training – Staff involved in food prep or handling need to have the requisite food safety training.

Adopting the above measures helps to reduce risks associated with food which creates the perfect conditions for foodborne illnesses to thrive and spread with ease. Reducing the risk of outbreaks protects residents, staff and visitors.

Developing an effective Food Safety Management System

Although a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) is a legal requirement, you can use it as a valuable blueprint that helps ensure food safety is achieved throughout your care business. An FSMS is a tool used to control food safety hazards within a food business to ensure that food is safe to eat. HACCP is a set of guiding principles for maintaining an FSMS. It sets out how you should identify food hazards and the measures you should take to control them safely and efficiently.

When developing your FSMS, you should consider the following areas:

Understand the HACCP, FSA and CQC Regulations.
Appoint a responsible Food Safety Manager to oversee the implementation of your FSMS.
Identify all potential hazards within your kitchen and care home premises and develop control measures to tackle these effectively.
All storage equipment should be tested frequently to ensure optimal temperatures are at the correct range.
Implement preparatory measures carried out ahead of food safety inspections to ensure your business is in the best shape possible whenever the next inspection arises.

The role of the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) imposes a series of compliance checks to ensure food hygiene in care homes meets the standards defined by the FSA. Ask yourself the following questions as you carry out checks across the

Is your food stored correctly, clearly labelled and in-date?
Do you have a daily cleaning schedule? Is every piece of equipment, surface and appliance accounted for in your listed duties?
Remember the cross-contamination measures we mentioned earlier in the piece? Do you have colour-coded shopping boards and storage containers?
Hygiene measures extend beyond the washing of hands frequently. Are there adequate PPE provisions like aprons, hairnets and gloves.

If the CQC inspection uncovers failings or lack of control measures, then the penalties can be severe. This ranges from financial penalties to severe restrictions on the service you are allowed to provide.

Effectively manage food hygiene in your care business with our help

Food hygiene in care homes requires full understanding to ensure the safest measures are strictly adhered to. If you need a boost to fill any knowledge gaps, then we’re here to provide a range of food hygiene training courses. Our bespoke online course delivery is designed to get your staff and business up to speed with food hygiene practices.

The Food Hygiene Level 3 Online Course is the most comprehensive online food safety course that covers the responsibilities of care business managers and owners. We also offer the Level 1 Food Hygiene Course and Level 2 Food Hygiene Course, a great starting basis to master the basics.

So, if our training options sound like they’ll benefit you, then contact us today or why not request a quote to manage food hygiene in your care home effectively?